


Forever, Forever, Forever

by iloveyou_iknow (llostt_in_ttranslationn)



Series: i’d die trying to let you live [10]
Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: F/F, and we ignore the 3 different plot holes in this installment, count how many times i use the word forever i dare you, except this time posie finally gets together, henelope brotp adventures without any actual adventures, i also abuse italics by i’m not sorry about it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-08
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-08-13 01:55:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20166226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/llostt_in_ttranslationn/pseuds/iloveyou_iknow
Summary: They aren’t perfect people, but maybe they’re perfect for each other.





	Forever, Forever, Forever

**Author's Note:**

> Hi I kind of hate this but if you follow me on twitter you’ve seen me say that I suck at writing actual Posie interactions. Hopefully this satisfies your need for Posie to be happy? Even though this isn’t super happy. Anyway, there’s only going to be one more part after this. That one will be happy for sure.

“Hope?”

She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, Landon?”

“What’s the deal with Josie and Penelope? Are they like, a thing now, or what?”

Hope glances across the bar to where Penelope and Josie are dancing with Lizzie and MG.

She isn’t quite sure why Landon cares. She knows all about his crush on Josie during the time that none of them remembered her, but she had thought he was over that. God, she really hopes he’s over that.

“And why does it matter to you?”

He looks up from his glass with wide eyes. “No! It’s not like _that_, Hope. I just feel like I _never_ know anything that’s happening around here. Ever since Penelope got back they’ve been on good terms and I really can’t tell if they’re friends or dating.”

Hope shrugs. “They insist they’re just friends.”

“You don’t think that’s true?” Landon wonders.

“Friends don’t look at each other like that,” She nods towards the duo that are laughing so hard they’re holding onto each other for balance, eyes shining as if there’s no one else in the room except them.

“They look normal to me?”

“Exactly,” Hope says. “That _is_ normal for them. Being in love is normal for them.”

“Oh,” Landon hums. “But Lizzie and MG are laughing, too. And they’re only friends.”

Hope lets her eyes drift to her girlfriend and MG.

Sure, they’re dancing closely and laughing unabashedly, but it’s clear in their body language that even MG’s longtime crush on Lizzie has faded and they’re genuinely just behaving the way any two close friends would. Hope even suspects that Lizzie might even admit that MG is her best friend. Probably not directly to the boy, lest he do something as embarrassing as making them friendship bracelets or something equally as horrendous and sappy in Lizzie’s eyes. Just the thought makes Hope roll her eyes affectionally.

So yes, MG and Lizzie are close. But Penelope and Josie...

Maybe it’s because Hope knows Penelope and Josie so well, or maybe Landon is just oblivious, but it’s very clear that there’s something _more_ between them.

Though to be fair, Hope is pretty sure Penelope and Josie don’t even understand what is really going on with them either.

Penelope laughs when she brings it up a few days later when they’re catching up in Penelope’s room.

“You’re crazy, Mikaelson.”

“Am I though, Park? Because we both know you’re still in love with her,” Hope challenges with a raised eyebrow.

Penelope falters, staring down at her hands. “We shouldn’t talk about that.”

Hope frowns. That’s not a very Penelope-like response to confrontation.

“Why not?”

“Because it’s better if I don’t think about it. Hurts less,” Penelope speaks casually, but Hope can hear how practiced her words are.

“Pen...” Hope sighs. “What’s really going on?”

Penelope’s gaze flicks up to meet Hope’s eyes for just a moment, before drifting to something over Hope’s shoulder. “I don’t think she loves me anymore.”

“Okay, now you’re the crazy one!” Hope actually laughs.

“No, really, Hope,” Penelope sighs. “We haven’t talked about it at all and it’s been four whole months since I came back.”

“Maybe she’s scared?” Hope offers.

“Of what?” Penelope scoffs.

“Being happy.”

“She’s already happy, though,” Penelope says.

“There’s different types of happy, Penelope,” Hope tells her. “You know Josie. You know how many times she’s been hurt by the people she cares about. Maybe she’s happy that you’re back in her life, sure, but we all know she’d be happier if you guys were _together_ again.”

“I’m really not sure that’s how she feels, Hope,” Penelope denies.

“You should talk to her,” Hope suggests. “You two really like to fuck things up by not communicating.”

Penelope rolls her eyes, but she knows Hope is right.

“Hey, maybe you should write her a note!” Hope laughs loudly at her own joke.

Penelope, however, doesn’t think that’s such a bad idea.

“Penelope, I know that look...” Hope frowns. “I wasn’t being serious.”

“It’s a good idea, though. That way I can tell her how I feel without having to look in her eyes.”

“You two don’t have a good history with notes,” Hope argues gently.

“That’s not actually true, Hope. When we were together, things were different. I’ll spell your eyebrows off if you ever bring it up, but it used to be mine and Josie’s _thing_. Notes. I wrote her so many little love notes,” Penelope admits. She frowns deeply. “I bet she burned them all after I broke up with her.”

Hope wants to tease Penelope about being so soft, but really, at this point she just sort of expects it.

“I really think you should talk face to face, P.”

Penelope sighs. “I know. But what if it fucks everything up?”

“She loves you, I’m certain of that.”

“I’ll talk to her,” Penelope says. “Eventually.”

“I think eventually should be right now,” Hope urges.

“No!” Penelope yelps.

“Well, I can hear her heartbeat right outside the door so...” Hope laughs.

And right on cue, there’s three soft knocks.

Hope jumps up from her spot next to Penelope on the bed. “Catch you later, Park!” She hurries to the door, slipping out past Josie with a quick smile.

Josie hovers at the threshold of the room, even while the door remains open from Hope’s exit.

“You can come in, Jo,” Penelope says softly.

Josie takes a few steps forward, closing the door behind her gently.

_She looks nervous_, Penelope notes to herself.

“Hi,” Josie whispers.

Penelope can’t help but give a soft grin at how shy and adorable Josie looks.

“Can we talk?” Josie asks timidly after a moment.

Penelope pats the spot next to her where Hope was just minutes ago.

Josie complies at the silent offering and delicately sits down on the bed.

“Is everything okay?”

“Um, I think so?” Josie clears her throat nervously.

Penelope sits up a bit, pulling her legs under herself and facing Josie fully. “What’s up, Jo?”

Josie settles more into her spot and mirrors Penelope’s position. “I forgive you.”

Penelope blinks in response.

“I, um... I’ve been going to therapy, which, you know, obviously, and I’ve gotten to a good place in my mind where I’m ready to let go of the pain of the past and embrace moving on, and truthfully I’ve been avoiding this conversation for a couple of weeks now. Because I like the way things are, Pen. I like being your friend...”

“Nothing has to change,” Penelope says quickly, ignoring the pain her words inflict on her heart.

“No, Penelope,” Josie sighs. “That’s not it. I _want_ things to change. But I’m scared.”

“Why?” Penelope asks softly.

“Because... I love you, Penelope. And _that_ scares me. It scares me to forgive you, but I do. I understand. And now I can let myself love you, without also hating you. But what if we try again and it ends badly, _again_?”

“It won’t!” Penelope assures.

“You can’t know that, Penelope,” Josie sighs, dropping their eye contact so she can look down at the bed where she’s fiddling with a loose thread of Penelope’s blanket.

“I can,” Penelope says. “I do. JoJo, you’re it for me. It’s you or it’s nobody.”

“You could do so much better than me,” Josie mumbles toward her hands.

“Josette, look at me,” Penelope reaches a hand out to cover Josie’s hands with her own. With the other, she caresses Josie’s cheek and guides her head up and searches for Josie’s avoiding gaze.

Josie relents and meets Penelope’s gaze with watery eyes.

“There’s no one else that could ever complete me the way that you do. You maybe not be perfect, and neither am I, but we’re perfect for each other.”

“You are perfect,” Josie tells her.

Penelope lets out a small laugh. “We both know that isn’t true, Jo.”

Josie pouts. “To me you are.”

Penelope smiles. “I love you.”

A tear slips out of Josie’s eye.

“Forever, Josie. You and me. Like I promised when I was fifteen. I’ve always intended to keep that promise. It just took a little extra time.”

Josie leans into the hand still against her cheek. “You can’t leave again.”

“I won’t.”

“I mean it, Penny. I don’t think I could get over it if you did. I can’t let you ruin me. Not again,” Josie tells her.

“Josie,” Penelope says slowly. “I’m here. And like I said when I first got back, I’m only going to leave if you tell me to.”

“You’re making this hard for me.”

“Well let me make it easy, then,” Penelope says. “I have loved you since I was thirteen. And I’m going to love you until the day I die. When I say forever, I mean it. I have never been more sure about anything in my entire life than I am about me and you. And if you’re not ready yet, that’s okay. I’ll wait forever for you, Josie. And if you’re never ready, then I’ll love you from a distance. I’ll be your friend. I’ll be whatever you want. Just say it and I’ll be it.”

More tears are streaming down Josie’s cheeks by now, and Penelope lets out a small whimper of disapproval as she swipes them away with the pad of her thumb.

“You’re really serious about this.”

“Of course I am,” Penelope responds, though Josie’s words were more of a statement than a question.

“Okay,” Josie sighs.

Penelope hums her confusion.

Josie pulls one of her hands out from under Penelope’s on the bed. She reaches up and rests it against Penelope’s chest, right over her heart. It’s beating fast, but steadily. Josie closes her eyes for a moment, just concentrating on the essence of Penelope’s being.

She can do this. Penelope is right here, baring her soul to Josie, ready to accept anything. Ready to accept _nothing_.

Josie can do the same.

She opens her eyes and locks them on Penelope’s own. She’s searching. For something. Anything. Even one ounce of hesitation. Anything that gives her even the slightest reason to run. Even the smallest bit of uncertainty would be enough.

But there is none.

Penelope’s eyes are earnest. They’re shining with love, glossy with emotion. She isn’t crying, not yet,but Josie can see that she could start at any moment. She’s waiting for Josie to break her heart to let the tears finally fall.

Josie can’t find her words.

She closes her eyes once again. She leans forward slowly, until her forehead comes to rest against Penelope’s.

Penelope’s hand on her cheek slides against her, moving to grasp at the back of Josie’s neck. She won’t make the first move, but she’s receptive to Josie doing it. She closes her eyes as well, waiting.

And Penelope’s hand holding their faces close is the only permission Josie needs. She tilts her head closer, until her lips meet Penelope’s.

She’s searching, still. Seeing Penelope’s love for her is one thing, but she needs to _feel_ it, too.

And she does.

The way Penelope kisses her is like a promise.

Josie can feel forever against Penelope’s lips.

She pulls back slowly, opening her eyes and staring deep into Penelope’s.

“I love you, too.”

A tear finally escapes Penelope’s eye. She really doesn’t know where this is going, but there’s nothing in the world that gives her the same feeling as hearing Josie say those three words. It hurts like hell but makes her feel like she’s floating above the clouds. Like she’s reached Heaven on Earth.

“I love you,” Josie says again. “And I know how to be selfish now. I know how to go after what I want. And I want _you_, Penelope. Forever. I trust you with my everything. I have for so long. And even when I hated you, I still loved you with everything inside me. And I don’t think I will ever stop loving you. If you’re all in, so am I.”

Penelope smiles. “Forever, JoJo.”

Josie connects their lips again.

Forever could be one day, or it could be a hundred years, and Josie wouldn’t care. As long as she gets to spend it with Penelope, it will be worth it.

They may not be perfect, but their forever will be, because they’re perfect for each other.

**Author's Note:**

> If there’s anything you want to see in the final part, let me know here or on twitter @ _iloveyou_iknow


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